A Cry of Absence
by the Chronic Meltdown
Summary: It all began with Karol hearing something he shouldn't have, and ended in Rita's capture. RitaxEstelle, FlynnxYuri; Postgame.


**A Cry of Absence**

Rita Mordio was not happy.

This was bad for Karol Capel because one of the following things could happen if she was unhappy:  
a) She would hurt him.  
b) She would hurt him _badly_.  
c) She would hurt him _so badly_ he would have use for Estelle's most powerful healing artes.  
d) She would hurt him _so badly_ he would suffer irreparable brain damage.  
Or, of course…  
e) He would be castrated before he even reached fifteen.

And so, because he really wanted to avoid all of these options, he chose the most reasonable thing to do when dealing with a very pissed off Mordio: He ran away.

He ducked behind a bush and held his breath, waiting for her to pass by his hiding place. However, Rita was not interested in letting him escape so easily. As though she was dying to catch and kill him, she sat down. On a bench. Which was conveniently located straight across his spot.

_Crap._

"…love with such an idiot?!" She half growled, crossing her arms over her (_semi-flat_) chest, and what the hell was he doing, thinking like that perverted old man?! "Ah, I can't _stand_ him half the time…" She stressed, and scowled furiously at whomever she was talking about.

Karol Capel was, despite his better judgment, intrigued.

"Love…?" He murmured questioningly under his breath.

He continued spying on her through the leaves.

"I mean, he's a good guy, but…but…" She swallowed; her scowl lessened into a frown, "Why?"

"Why what, Rita?"

The seventeen year old mage spun around to face Judith. He blinked as the Krytian smiled warmly at the girl. When had they become such good friends?

"I…" The mage faltered, something that took Karol by surprise.

Rita Mordio _never_ faltered. She blushed.

"It's nothing!" She said, and quickly stood up. "I was just wondering why…there aren't any more gels inside my…bathroom."

Judith raised an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with your little crush on a certain person we both know, would it?"

The genius twitched and stiffly turned to look at her, face up in flames.

"It doesn't-!"

And that was when Karol Capel decided to blow his cover. He darted out of the bush and gaped at her while they stared at him, Judith knowingly while Rita's flush increased. Perceptively.

"You have a crush on someone?!" He shouted in disbelief, and then his eyes widened in sudden horror. "It's not me, is it?! Because I really can't-!"

"_What_?! No! A thousand times no! Why on earth would I have a crush on _you_?!"

"Our genius mage has a crush on Karol? Why, what a surprise."

Rita Mordio nearly convulsed at the sight of the old man, Yuri, Repede, and Estelle. And that was when the boss of Brave Vesperia noticed green eyes zeroed in on the princess.

The latter grinned happily at the news.

"You have a crush on Karol?"

The mage staggered back, her face a strange tint of green.

"No! I don't! I don't have a crush on him!"

Yuri smirked.

"You're blushing."

"Sh-shut up!" Rita shouted, and glared at him furiously.

"Scary…" He said pleasantly, before his smirk widened. "But who knows, Rita? Your love might not be unrequited."

Karol couldn't help himself.

"It is! Fully unrequited!"

He was promptly bopped in the head with more force than usual.

"Shut up! I don't like him! I'd rather _die_ than like _him_!"

"So then…" Estelle began, smiling eagerly, "Who is it, Rita? Who?"

Karol wasn't sure whether Rita even tried to hide the hurt in her eyes. He wasn't even sure if she was aware she was in pain. Either way, she was looking away as she replied.

"It's no one."

"But I heard-" He began, and was immediately shut up by a hand slapping over his mouth.

"Walk with me, Karol." Judith said amiably, dragging him away from the conversation.

"Hey Judy! Where're you going?"

She waved at Yuri.

"For a walk." She answered.

She turned back to him. He gazed back at her questioningly.

"What?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop on people, you know."

He flushed guiltily.

"I didn't do it on purpose." He tried to explain, "I was hiding from her, because I could tell she was upset, and when she's upset, she usually takes it out on me, and I didn't want to be her punching bag…" He trailed off sheepishly.

Judith smiled slightly and looked back at the path ahead. They stopped.

"Rita's at the stage where if she makes a mistake, it might not be repairable." She told him softly, "And if it's irreparable, then it would involve all of us."

"So then…she really likes someone?"

"She's in love." She replied simply, and smiled bemusedly. "With a person who's eternally oblivious."

That was when it clicked. His eyes widened.

"Estelle?"

A gasp. Behind them.

Hair the color of cherry blossoms swaying in the breeze.

The slim body of the famed mage of Aspio paralyzed by shock. Emerald eyes large with fear.

Judith gazed at Rita impassively.

"I have done what you couldn't because I'm tired of seeing you so lost and confused."

The mage exhaled harshly. Her trembling hand let go of the fabric of Estelle's sleeve. Her mouth opened but no words came out.

The corner of her mouth twitched.

She turned and ran.

And the princess was frozen in position, mind scrambling, her heart thudding violently in her chest.

XxXxX

By that afternoon, Rita had written Brave Vesperia a letter filled with half truths, explaining her impromptu decision to accept the invitation to monitor the sudden fluctuations in the aer krene at the Weasand of Cados.

By the next morning, she was halfway to Halure.

In five more days, she arrived at Capua Nor.

A week later, she was leaving Nordopolica with the group that had asked for her assistance.

And upon arriving at the Weasand of Cados, she was knocked unconscious by a hard blow to the head, the beginning of a series of events that would toss the empire and the guilds into war once more.

**A/N: **First ToV fic. RitaxEstelle, because I adore them together. And besides, Rita's too friggin' cute in the game. And Estelle was a bit stalkerish, with her whole, 'Oh, I'll come too' thing at the end of the game. Oh, and Flynn and Yuri, because they're both hot and I love them even though Yuri can be a bit of a jerk sometimes.

Anyway, this idea came at me immediately after I finished the game. I was watching the credits, and I normally wouldn't do that, except for the fact that these credits had pictures which showed little snippets of the future. And so I started thinking in 'What if's. What if Rita was captured two years after the defeat of the Adephagos? What if things went wrong, and more people than what they had expected were unhappy with the lack of barrier blastia? What if the guilds and the empire are about to pay the consequences?

At any rate, I need a beta, if anyone's interested. Because, erm, I don't think my reading this twice to try and make sure stuff doesn't escape me is working. XD Uhm, so, yeah. Please stick with me. My plot's pretty long, so...hah. It's bound to be a lot of fun.


End file.
